History of the Bateman

The hotel was built in 1869 to replace a predecessor hotel, after the downtown area was burnt in a fire in January 1869.

The historic architectural integrity of the Bateman Hotel has been very well preserved with its original form. Alterations to the building’s original exterior have been limited to the 1909 renovations to the first floor storefronts and main entry. An original passageway which cut through the hotel on its north side to allow the passage of carriages from State Street to the rear of the building has been closed off; in its place is a commercial establishment(bar). The archways and windows can still be seen in the brick work that lines The Draft House walls.

The hotel was owned in the 1950s through 1980 by Harold and Marion Mahar. After Harold’s death in the late 1960s, Marion (called “Mother Mahar” by the locals) continued to run the hotel until her retirement in the early 1980s.

In the 1980’s, the Davey family operated The Northwood in the main lobby and bar area. From there, the family sold to the current owners, who have taken care of the building as it is today and continue to restore it. The once luxurious hotel is now home to 30+ apartments, each one still holding original construction.

In October of 2019, Meghann and Brandon Hellinger took up the lease of the bar space, and The Bateman Draft House was created. The pandemic put a hiatus on the completion, but they continued to hold onto the dream of bringing a NYS specific draft craft beer and signature cocktail bar to Lowville. Over a year later, they were able to get licenses approved and were on their way to making it a reality. They were awarded The Microenterprise Grant from Naturally Lewis, and that moved the process along even more so. Long hours were had, creating the space they had dreamt of. Each piece was built by Brandon’s hands, combined with Meghann’s vision. While creating the aesthetic, they felt it was important to preserve some of the historic charm and local historical pieces. As time goes on, the local treasures displayed have grown. The motivation behind the establishment, was to provide a place for conversation, support for our local arts, and to continually bring new and exciting options to our menu. Whether it be through beer, cocktails, local live music or food options. They enjoy making each interaction an experience. The Hellinger’s operated the tap room as a husband-and-wife team for almost 8 months solo, on Friday and Saturday evenings only. Today, The Draft House is open Thursday evenings 5p-12a, Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight, and currently employs a handful of passionate mixologists and beer tenders.